


I Can't Make You Love Me

by cumbercrieff



Category: Sherlock (TV) RPF
Genre: Benedict Cumberbatch - Freeform, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-06
Updated: 2012-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-29 01:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/314170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cumbercrieff/pseuds/cumbercrieff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lola is in love with her best friend and co-star but does he feel the same way?</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Can't Make You Love Me

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a one-shot.  
> It contains hurt (in case the title didn't give it away).  
> It's inspired by the song "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt and the movie Moulin Rouge.  
> If you haven't heard or seen these, you really fucking should cause they are amazing.

Lola's heart had already began thumping against her chest without even realising he was in the room. Her body was so in tune with her infatuation that it instantly reacted if any of her senses picked him up even if she wasn't aware he was there. Her heart knew he was there and that was enough for her entire body to prick up and capture anything for her memory.   
“Is anyone sitting there?”  
She turned around to see the smiling face of her best friend and co-star speaking in his baritone.  
“Yes actually.”  
“Well then he will just have to move won't he?”  
“How do you know it's a he?”  
“When is it not a he Lola?”  
He smirked at her and started to bite into his chicken salad sandwich looking around at the other people in the room practising their dance steps.  
“You will never be able to do that, don't even bother.”  
“Hey! I could, I just don't want to.”   
He nudged her and winked going back to watching the extras rehearse. Lola picked up her script and threw it at him.  
“You should really be practising on memorising your lines you know?”  
“Yeah, yeah. How hard can it be.. The greatest thing you'll ever learn, blah blah blah.”  
“Okay. Firstly, No. Secondly, we should use all of our time to be rehearsing!”  
“Oooh, alright mother!!” he stuck her tongue out at her mockingly.  
He picked up at the script and began reading the lines of Christian which someone had scored out and written “the amazing Bendy-dick comeonmybaps”.   
“India. India! It's set in India! And there's a courtesan. The most beautiful courtesan in all the world. But her kingdom's invaded by an evil maharajah! Now, in order to.. Why are you laughing?”  
He looked up from his script to see Lola rolling about giggling.   
“I'm sorry, it's just your eyebrows move around so much when you are talking it's hilarious..” She trailed off into more laughter.  
“Wow. Wait really?”  
He waggled them around and Lola burst into further hysterics.  
“Okay, okay. Let's just finish eating now!”  
“Alright.”  
“Why are they even making a stage version of Moulin Rouge?”  
“I think the question you are looking for is why did they not make one before!”  
“Hm. Okay.”  
She smiled at the most perfect man on the planet as he open a packet of walkers. Her heart ached as she looked at his perfect ivory skin and beautiful lips. His hair was especially curly today, he wasn't supposed to let it grow that much for the role but he couldn’t be bothered getting it cut just yet. He had left it dyed dark brown from Sherlock which Lola loved. She could perfect him as Christian already. In his suit and all nervous and poety-like. And she was his Satine. He noticed her staring and frowned at her.  
“What? Have I got something on my face?”  
“Uh No. Nothing Benedict.” She flushed bright red. She always did when she said his name.

After they had finished lunch they graced the stage. Empty from set and props at the moment. Only Lola and Benedict. And a rather brightly dressed director glaring at them.  
“Okay guys so I want you to take it from The Elephant. The roof. I want passion, I want lust and I want beautiful singing.”  
Lola could defiantly manage the first two.  
“Okay, so we've just finished singing One Day I'll Fly Away and Christian enters and.. ACTION”  
Lola put on her best mask as Benedict as Christian chased her around The yet-to-be-built Elephant. She just wanted to plant a kiss on his mouth, or his neck, or his collar-bone or his..  
“All you need is love..”  
Holy crap. She almost forgot to speak. Every time he sung her heart froze and her hair stood on end. It was magical. It was incredible that it was his one major insecurity. He had been desperate to get into a musical but now he was in one he always got jittery when he actually had to do some music. He had begged for her to audition as Satine so he would feel more comfortable on stage.  
“We should be lovers..”  
Oh. Here it comes. The kiss. The kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. She lent in towards Benedict's porcelain face, his crystal blue eyes shining at her. This is it. Finally. She began to close her eyes  
“CUT”  
What? NO. NOOOOO. Lola noticed Benedict had already pulled away and she yanked her head up.  
“Okay, that was good. But a lot of things we can work on...”  
Her mind trailed away as the director rambled on about this and that as she gazed at Benedict, or more specifically Benedict’s arse in his perfectly tight trousers. Her heart jumped and her stomach flipped as she looked up to see him staring at her in confusion. Her eyes darted away into the corner of nothing.  
“Okay, so you can take a break now and can we get the dancers for Roxanne on now?”  
Lola shuffled off the stage not looking at Benedict. She was getting really sloppy now. He had caught her looking at him so much these past few days when she had been so careful for so long.  
“Uh, Lola are you okay?”  
“Me. Yeah. Yep. I am. FINE. Fine fine fine. Are you fine? I'm fine. Woo. WOO. Fine.”  
“Okay, that was not very convincing. Uh, anyway I'm done for the day now, so. I guess I'll see you tomorrow.”  
He began to walk away and she sensed his awkwardness. Shit. Without her knowing Lola's brain decided to shout out to him.  
“No. Don't go.”  
He spun round, concern on his face.  
“Look. Lola. Can we talk?”  
Her stomach flipped.  
“Yeah. Yeah sure.”

Benedict took her through a door, leading to the back alley behind the theatre. He took a deep breath to steady himself. She noticed him muttering to himself under his breath.  
“So.. What's up?”  
Lola tried to remove some of the awkwardness. There was a certain tension but she couldn't put her finger on it. What was going on? Why did he bring her out her on her own? What was so important he had to take her away from everyone? Lola's mind when into overdrive considering every possibility while Benedict tried to gain some courage to speak.  
“Lola. I can't do this any more.”  
Her eyebrows dipped in confusion. Was he.. Is he going to tell her.. No.  
“I've been meaning to say this for a while but I just need to get it off my chest now.”  
Fuck. He was going to tell her.. He had feelings for her. Of course! It all made sense. The awkwardness and the isolation he wanted her to be alone so he could confess his feelings for her. Lola looked into Benedict's eyes knowing that what he would say next would change her life from the unrequited misery of the past three years. He would finally give her what she has been looking for. That one person who she could be herself with no matter what. Who would love her forever and for everything that she was. That man. The man.  
“I don't love you.”  
Had time stopped. Because that is what it felt like. Her chest had been ripped open. Every emotion felt all at once to stop the pain. Lola felt her hands on top of her ears either trying to stop his words or her own mind.  
“I'm sorry. But. Your my friend Lola. You are an amazing friend. And an amazing person. But I don't love you. And I know you...”  
He paused and looked at her. He took a step toward and tried to take one of the hands which had fallen from her head to limply beside her body.  
“Don't touch me.”  
Benedict looked at her in shock.  
“Lola.. I. I'm sorry but-”  
She turned away, not wanting him to see her cry. How could he do this? She. They. They were meant to be together. This isn't what happens in the movies. The girl who isn't suppose to end up happy does end up happy. Why wasn't she allowed her fairytale ending?  
Lola heard Benedict begin to walk after her. She started to run. She didn't know where she was going but she was going there now. And fast. She heard him shouting her name but it grew fainter and fainter and she ran. Tears streaming down her face and her heart in the gutter. She stopped running and fell to the ground. She could never make him love her. She would never have him. Stupid. STUPID. How could she ever think he would even be attracted to her? She felt like an idiot. She got up off the ground ignoring the stares of the surrounding passers-by and hailed a cab taking her home and into bed.

The next day Lola arrived at the theatre late much to the disdain of the director. She looked around but couldn't see Benedict. She went to her dressing room and sat down in front of her dressing table before breaking down in tears. She watched herself at tears of black rolling down her cheeks. She was pathetic. Out of the corner of her eye a red envelope caught her eye. She instantly recognised the writing. Lola tore it open and scanned the page her chest pained more and more by every word.

“Lola. I am so sorry. I have never been more sorry about anything in my entire life. I will always regret that but I had to tell you. It hurt me to watch you look at me like that every day. To see you fall in love with me. I didn't want you to wait forever and see me end up with someone else. After Olivia you were there for me. You were amazing and I will thank fate everyday for allowing me to meet you. You helped me through a dark time in my life without you I would never have got through it. But what I feel for you isn't love. It is friendship on highest level. You were a rock at a time in my life and I know it's my fault for relying on you so much. I should never have asked you to try for this role if you didn't want to. It wasn't fair on you. And I know it's all my fault. Entirely. I asked if the sub could take my place. I will not put you through this with me. You deserve the chance to shine on stage. It's your dream and I will not stand in the way of that. You have so much talent so let your star out. You will find the man of your dreams one day. I can't wait to see opening night. You are perfect Lola and I”

The letter stopped suddenly. She threw it on the floor. Who the hell did he think he was? I was a ROCK? For a time in his life? But then he didn't need me any more. GREAT. What a dic-.  
Lola spun round into hands that grabbed her into a loving and tender kiss. She recognised the smell and feel of his skin. She pulled Benedict in deeper not wanting the moment to end. She didn't know if it was a dream or not but either way she wanted to stay there forever. Eventually, Benedict pulled back and started at Lola's tear-stained face.   
“I. I. Uh..”  
“You didn't finish the letter.”  
She looked at him with hopeful eyes. Her heart hurt. Her life ached for him. Benedict walked over and picked up the paper from the floor. He scanned it his face grimacing in shame.  
“You are perfect Lola and I. I am a fucking idiot. What am I saying? You were a rock, and you always will be. You are the only person I fully trust. You are smart, funny, beautiful”  
he kept his eyes on the page like he was reading from it “and I was being an arrogant twat yesterday. Your dream is to be on stage and shine like the star you are. My dream is to watch you. Then go home with you; watch crappy television; drink bad coffee and fall asleep with you in my arms. I got scared when I realised that you.. I got scared when I realised how strongly you felt for me. I tried to push my feelings away thinking that I wasn't ready for anything yet. I thought if I told you I didn't love you the whole thing would go away. But all I could think about was you. All night. I dreamt of you with someone else and I woke up with tears in my eyes. I am crazy about you Lola.”  
He stopped and dropped the paper. Lola, who had kept her gaze on him the entire time, walked towards him and slapped him hard across the face. Benedict was stunned for a second.  
“Well. I suppose I deserved that.”  
“Uh, yeah!”  
Lola laughed through her tears of joy. She knew it. He loved her. He was the one. Benedict closed the spaced between them and kissed her slowly and with love. He was the man of her dreams. He was the man. The only man. Her man. Forever.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked the ending. I just couldn't leave her heartbroken. I had to give her some happiness. I am a nice god really.


End file.
